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Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold Review: Better, Not Best
The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold is a predictably iterative improvement over last year’s foldable, with slight upgrades to performance and the camera, but it comes with an unwelcome $100 price bump. The IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and the Qi2 25W support for faster magnetic charging are standouts in a category where Google is lagging, but it has never been known for its hardware. Software is where the company excels, and some folks will appreciate the unrivaled AI-infused software features.
Google is good at elevating its devices beyond the spec sheet, but the 11 Pro Fold is perilously close to the Pixel 11 on paper, a phone that’s less than half its price. Beyond the big unfolding screen and customizable rear LEDs, little else justifies the “Pro” tag. With Samsung’s fresh Fold8 form factor and a folding iPhone on the horizon, I’m not convinced Google has done enough to make this the foldable you drop $1,900 on.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold doesn’t look different from the 10 Pro Fold, but Google has shaved off a fraction of a millimeter and 19 grams. Sadly, the 11 Pro Fold is still heavier and thicker (239 grams and 10.1 mm) than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 (201 grams and 9.7 mm), the Fold8 Ultra (215 grams and 8.9 mm), and the Honor Magic V6 (219 grams and 8.75 mm, not sold in the US). That makes it a little trickier to handle, though the horizontal camera bar means less rocking than Samsung’s phones when they lie flat.
The double-camera module has had a makeover, so it looks less chunky, and the back is matte-textured glass that feels lovely. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold scores an impressive IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. That compares favorably to Samsung’s IP48 ratings, which means both can survive shallow submersion, but Google’s phone is dust-tight, whereas Samsung’s phones are at risk from fine dust and sand.
It’s a shame the Fold is only available in two colors: Obsidian, the color of my review unit, looks more like a dark matte gray than black, while Olive Green has a shinier gold frame.
I’m not a fan of Google’s asymmetrical design. With the Pixel 11 Pro Fold closed, there’s a curved corner cutout, and when you open the phone, the two halves have slightly different thicknesses. All folding phones still have a detectable fold line in the middle of the screen when you open them, but Google’s is among the most noticeable. Some folks won’t notice or care, but I’m the kind of guy who goes upstairs to turn the light on so the downstairs switches aren’t misaligned.
The fingerprint sensor in the power button always bugs me when I switch to a folding phone, because I have to pick it up to touch it and unlock the screen, rather than pressing on the screen like most phones. You do have face unlock with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and it works well provided there’s ample light, but it still doesn’t work in a dark room, which is still annoying.
You get two lovely, sharp OLED displays in the Pixel 11 Pro Fold: an 8-inch main screen and a 6.5-inch cover screen. Both push peak brightness to 3,600 nits, remaining legible in direct sunlight, and boast a variable refresh rate up to 120 Hz. They’re smooth, with rich colors, and I have nothing to complain about beyond that crease.
I’m not convinced the 11 Pro Fold earns the “Pro” in its title. It does have the new HiLight feature, a group of color LEDs in the camera module’s flash that light up different colors based on who is calling, or swirl through the rainbow while you chat to Gemini. It’s neat, if a little underbaked. It’s handy if you put your phone face down when you’re working or trying to relax, but it’s a very minor feature.
All the Pixels get the new Tensor G6 processor, and the Fold has 16 GB of RAM paired with 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB of storage. Switching from the Pixel 10 Pro XL, it was mostly smooth sailing. But it froze a couple of times in split-screen view in Gmail and after launching an app on the outer display, then unfolding the inner display.